Category: News

Matís is currently launching a project, in collaboration with the University of Iceland, IM ehf. and slaughter license holders, where the intention is to examine what untapped opportunities are hidden in horsemeat and improve its position in the domestic market.

The main goal of the project is to obtain information from slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, shops, restaurants and consumers to explain low consumption and low prices for horsemeat. Information will be obtained by reading sources and interviews with key parties in the processing and sale of horsemeat.

Questions about buyers 'and consumers' attitudes will be based on an analysis of that information. After that, a request for an online survey will be sent, on the one hand, to several hundred individuals who will be selected by random sampling from the National Registry and, on the other hand, to influencers in the horse meat distribution system in Iceland. The information from the surveys will be analyzed in a statistical way to examine the effects of all kinds of factors on the supply and demand of horsemeat. The results and ideas / suggestions for improvement will then be presented at an open discussion meeting with stakeholders.

The project recently received a grant from the Agricultural Productivity Fund.

Several students in doctoral studies / Matís employees recently went on a spring expedition to the Marine Research Institute, the Marine and Water Research and Consulting Institute. There was a lot going on during this expedition, and then perhaps all the depressions that rushed past and brought each of the bullies to the feet of the other. 

Fortunately, most of them did well to adjust to the weather and the sea, and as far as is known, everyone came home safe and sound.

The purpose of the Matís employees' trip was to collect data for the project Örverur á Íslandsmiður, which is funded by Rannís.

Coastal Fisheries, or coastal fishing, is the name of a project that began with Matís and partners in 2014. The purpose of the project was to raise awareness of coastal fishing in the North Atlantic, from Norway in the east and all the way to Canada in the west but also to strengthen communication, explore synergies, explore opportunities for innovation and promote the exchange of information between parties in this important area of the blue bioeconomy.

As part of the project, a video was put together (in English) about this coastal fishing. 

There was also issued a report where coastal fishing in the Arctic was analyzed. 

Further information is provided by Jónas R. Viðarsson at Matís.

A new project has just started at Matís. The project is called "Seaweed that improves feed for dairy cows“And the goal of the project is threefold; firstly, to increase the usefulness of dairy cows and to examine the quality and chemical content of cow's milk after seaweed feeding, secondly, to use seaweed as a mineral source in feed and thirdly, to obtain iodine-rich milk from cows.

The study will examine the effect of seaweed administration on the benefit of cows and the content of milk. At the beginning of the feeding experiment, the usefulness and ingredients of milk will be monitored for comparison with measurements made before seaweed meal was given.

The project is carried out in collaboration between Matís and the experimental farm at Stóra-Ármót and the seaweed comes from Þörungaverksmiðjan Reykhólar.

The project manager is Ásta Heiðrún Pétursdóttir, in addition to her from Matís Helga Gunnlaugsdóttir and the chemistry staff are involved in the project

The project began on March 1. and therefore ends on 31 December 2018 and is funded by the Agricultural Productivity Fund.

Matís and Advania want to boost trade in agricultural products with a solution based on blockchain technology. The solution will promote traceability so that consumers are informed about the origin and journey of the product.

Matís and Advania have agreed to use the revolutionary blockchain technology to create a platform for trading in Icelandic agricultural products. Blockchain is the technology on which Bitcoin e-currency trading is based. One of its main advantages is to show almost unquestionable traceability. Therefore, the technology is very suitable in trade where the origin and travel of the product matters, such as in trade in agricultural products.

Consumers want to be informed about the origin of food and have long called for being able to trade directly with agricultural products with farmers. Advania and Matís therefore intend to create a new platform based on blockchain technology and will be available to the public this autumn. People are also given the opportunity to get an overview of lamb production from the website www.matarlandslagid.is which contains detailed information on the uniqueness of farmers and their cultivation. Consideration will also be given to utilizing the solution in the new food market in Hofsós. 

The idea is to promote opportunities for innovation and specialization in agriculture. The forum also promotes transparency and honesty in the food trade. According to the agreement, Advania will provide a system based on blockchain technology that will be used to securely record information on farmers' products from the Matís database.

"It is exciting to use futuristic technology to promote new business practices in food production and increase the options for farmers and consumers. Advania's experts intend to build their first solution with a blockchain for this fun project and we intend to become a leading force in the use of this technology in Iceland, "says Ægir Már Þórisson, CEO of Advania. 

"There is certainly a reason to focus on innovation in lamb production. It was therefore an obvious advantage when Advania proposed cooperation in the field of blockchain, as we believe technology can increase dialogue between farmers and consumers significantly, reduce the likelihood of food crimes and projects of this kind being a springboard for Icelandic food producers and technology companies ", says Sveinn Margeirsson CEO Matís.

In the later stages of the project, blockchain technology is being used to document sheep grazing and prevent overgrazing on land, but Landgræðslan has already begun work on preparing such a project in collaboration with sheep farmers.

A new project has just begun at Matís. The project focuses on the best bleeding of salmonids, as there is considerable value that is created and increased with good bleeding.

Objectives of the project Optimization in the bleeding of salmonids is to improve the bleeding of salmonids by improving existing methods and developing an efficient way to purify processing water generated during slaughter, bleeding and gutting. The intention is to develop a method that preserves bioactive substances from processing water that can be used in valuable products, but such a method ensures product quality and promotes environmentally friendly production. 

We will start a tunnel collection where, among other things, we will look at what the Norwegians have been doing when it comes to bleeding salmon. The differences between different bleeding methods will be examined, but in addition the chemical composition of the blood will be investigated with chemical analyzes carried out at Matís' chemical laboratory.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Arnarlax, Arctic Protein and the University of Iceland and the project manager is Gunnar Þórðarson at Matís. In addition to him, the project involves Matís Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir, Ásbjörn Jónsson and Sigurjón Arason.

The project began last April. and ends in September 2020 and is funded by the Environmental Fund for Aquaculture.

A new article was published in the international scientific journal Icelandic Agricultural Sciences. The article, which is a summary article, is called Shortness of breath and HIV: There are many similarities between responsibilities and is by Valgerður Andrésdóttir. The summary of the article states: Shortness-of-breath virus infects sheep and mainly causes pneumonia (shortness of breath) and encephalitis (withered). The virus is a lentivirus that causes a slow-growing disease and is closely related to the HIV virus. 

The viruses have many things in common, such as the organization of genetic material, the activity and type of viral proteins, the multiplication process, the host's response to infection and the dormant infection, which the host never gets rid of. Both viruses infect the cells of the immune system; dyspnoea virus infects phagocytes, whereas HIV infects both phagocytes and T-lymphocytes. In the review article, various similarities with these viruses are discussed.  

Withering and shortness of breath are sheep diseases that came to the country with the import of Karakúlfé in 1933 and caused a great deal of livelihood in the Icelandic sheep farming. As a result, in 1948 the Keldur Experimental Station was established to carry out research on these and other animal diseases, but withered and shortness of breath was eliminated with cuts that ended in 1965. Björn Sigurðsson, the first director of the Experimental Station, directed research on these diseases, and set presented theories about a new category of infectious diseases, slow-moving infectious diseases. The dyspnoea virus is in this category but also the HIV virus and research on the dyspnoea virus has provided important information on the biology of HIV.

It is a great blessing to have received this overview article, which is basically based on some of the most remarkable research and discoveries that have come from Icelandic scholars.

A new project has just started at Matís. The project is about value from thermophilic bacteria is a 3-year research project where it is investigated whether it is possible to use carbohydrates made from seaweed to produce valuable compounds.

One of the most important tasks of today's biotechnology is to develop efficient and effective production methods for valuable biomass from sustainable biomass, in order to reduce pollution and counteract the overexploitation of natural resources that are not inexhaustible. To date, large algae have not been used as raw materials in the production of valuable substances in the biotechnology industry. They are rich in carbohydrates and as such they are optimal in the production of various valuables.

The project is funded by the Rannís Research Fund and the project is woven into two other projects at Matís, the projects MacroFuel and ThermoFactories and the project is based on decades of research and experience by Matís specialists in biotechnology of thermophilic bacteria

The project formally began on 1 April 2018. and therefore ends March 31, 2021.

Part of the project is for Antoine Moenaert's doctoral degree at Matís, but Antoine's supervisor is Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson and the professional leader of the project is Ólafur Héðinn Friðjónsson.

Project overview - author Antoine Moenaert.

Co-operation Forum on Food Land Iceland will hold a conference on responsible food production and the United Nations' global goals, on Thursday 31 May in Harpa at 13.00-16.00.

The conference will focus on how companies in the food sector can adopt responsible production methods, for example by increasing sustainability, reducing waste, increasing energy efficiency, improving resource utilization and managing the environment.

Serena Brown, Director of Sustainable Development at the consulting firm KPMG in England, will give a talk on the UN's global goals and sustainable development. Among other things, it will discuss the opportunities for companies in the food sector to assimilate its value. KPMG's field of sustainable development has for years researched and advised companies and institutions to implement responsible production methods in their operations.

Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, talks about the competitive advantage on the basis of responsibility and disclosure, and Einar Snorri Magnússon at Coca Cola European Partners talks about his company's activities in this area. Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir at SFS talks about responsible fishing and in the second part of the conference, experiences will be told from various sources, including agriculture, industry, hotel management and land reclamation.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or the Global Goals, adopted at the 2015 UN General Assembly, herald global progress. They concern society in the broadest sense, such as production methods, energy use, cooperation, the eradication of poverty and hunger, and should ensure good health and well-being, to name but a few. The goals are seventeen in number along with 169 sub-goals and the countries of the world must achieve them by 2030.

The conference will discuss in detail how the goals affect Icelandic food production, from strategy to actions involving companies, institutions and the government. Efforts will be made to shed light on the opportunities and challenges that the goals of Icelandic food production have.

There is no entrance fee to the event and it is open to everyone. The moderator is Elín Hirst, a media woman. Registration is on the website si.is.

The co-operation forum Matvælalandið Ísland is run by the Farmers' Association, the University of Iceland, Íslandsstofa, Matís, Matarauður Íslands, the Icelandic Tourism Association, the Icelandic Fisheries Association and the Icelandic Industry Association.

Agenda

Kl. 13.00 Presentation and presentation of the Ecotrophelia Ísland award
Kristján Þór Júlíusson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture

Matvælalandið Ísland: Competitive advantage based on responsibility and information
Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís

The Sustainable Development Goals: Opportunities for the Icelandic Food Industry
Serena Brown, Director, Sustainable Development KPMG International

The road ahead
Einar Snorri Magnússon, CEO of Coca Cola European Partners in Iceland

Responsible fishing
Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir, CEO of SFS

Experience stories from various sources

• Arnheiður Hjörleifsdóttir, farmer in Bjarteyjarsandur
• Eva María Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Eimverk's production manager
• Bryndís Marteinsdóttir, project manager at Landgræðsla ríkisins
• Ólafur Helgi Kristjánsson, chef at Hótel Saga
• Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, Marketing Director of Kjörís

Board of Directors: Elín Hirst media actress

Harpa - Kaldalón
on Thursday, May 31st
at 13.00-16.00

The conference is free and open to everyone, but it is necessary to register on the website of the Confederation of Icelandic Industries, www.si.is.

A very interesting workshop was held at Matís' premises recently. week. Nordic Innovation (NI) is working on policy and research emphases in the field of business and innovation in the near future and is interested in receiving from stakeholders, such as companies, materials and suggestions on possible topics and projects.

It is worth noting that NI has three interdisciplinary themes in funding Nordic innovation, covering a) bioeconomy / circular economy, b) health and quality of life and b) mobility, connectivity and transport ( e. mobility, connections and logistics). As part of NI's strategic planning work, they asked Matís to organize a workshop on 14 May at the company's headquarters.

Many Icelandic companies attended the workshop, as this is a unique opportunity to present Icelandic views so that it will be a working way for Icelanders to apply for Nordic research, business and innovation calls when the time comes.